Pressure extraction vessel shell



Aug. 22, 1939. J. D. cHRlsTiAN 2,170,547

PRESSURE EXTRACTION VESSEL SHELL Filed June l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i lK w ,E 2 m wm Ex E A115 22, f1939. J. iD. CHRISTIAN 2,170,547

PRESSURE EXTRACTION VESSEL SHELL Filed June 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a press construction, particularly a pressdesigned for continuous operation. It has been my observation that,although the art of pressing materials to extract therefrom a uid is `arelatively old one, nevertheless, in many elds today, the equipmentavailable is not satisfactory. In the first instance, the presses are soconstructed that mechanical failures are frequent. In the secondinstance, the construction is such that flexibility in operation is notavailable. For example, I have observed that with different materials(wine grapes and tomatoes) it is desirable to vary the extractingpressure employed to ensure'that the pulp is extracted but not theskins. Many press constructions do not permit of this. The press of thepresent invention obviatesv many of these diiliculties, being of such aconstruction that material undergoing pressing can be subjected to asubstantially uniform and single pressure during the press operation.Furthermore, the press is so constructed that this pressure can bevaried at Will if the press is employed upon different materials ormaterial of 'diiferent grades.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide 4anovel press construction.

A further object ofthe present invention is to provide a pressconstruction enabling material to be subjectto a substantially uniformand con- .stantly maintained pressure.

This invention also relates to a construction for a shell to be employedon a pressure extraction apparatus, such as a press employing a screw ora ram. As is Well known, a solid material con- 2.taining a iluid, Winegrapes, copra et cetera, is placed under arheavy pressure to break thecells thereof and release liquid contained therein. This is a commonmethod of procuring wine Yfrom grapes, oil from fish, olives, or copra.During ".the operation, the pressure created is of a large order. Theshell of the pressure extraction apparatus must withstand thisVsuccessfully and, at the same time, provide for draining off of thereleased liquid. Various constructions have been employed for theseshells but, even though such equipment has been employed in industry foryears, a satisfactory shell or basket is desired in many fields.

Another broad object of the present invention `jis to provide animproved shell for a pressure extraction apparatus.

.Various forms of screens and apertured plates have been employed.VThe'drains provided by this are not continuousV in length. This results.1in a highA abrasion onthe` shell and too large a percentage of solidsin the liquid eflluent from the press. A further object of the presentinvention is to provide a shell for a pressure extraction apparatus inwhich continuous liquid drains are provided.

By reasonof the novel basket construction or shell construction of thepresent invention and the type of screw employed, together with theconstant pressure maintenance of the present invention, the pressoperates to provide a material 10 in which the solid content of theliquid extracted is relatively low if it is not in fact entirelyeliminated. In otherY words, the press of the present invention ishighly selective in that only the liquid is removed While the solidsremain behind for 15 discharge as the press cake. This is because of thenovel shell construction, in which tearing and cutting of the solidmaterial is substantially entirely absent, the solid moving through thepress without any tearing action because the spaces 20 between themembers providing the shell are continuous and are not interrupted. Witha shell having slots or mere apertures, tearing of the solid materialbetween the screw and the shell occurs, as the material passes over eachaperture. 25

shell, while Figures 3 and 4 are sections showing 35"*v alternativeforms of construction.

In `accordance with this invention the shell 6 for the present pressureextraction vessel is made up of a plurality of T`strip members,indicated at 1. These are provided with a cross bar 8, 4,0 and a legportion 9. As appears in Figure 2, between adjacent T members areprovided channel members II. The size of the channel members relativetoY the T members is such that the channels space the T members apart,the edges 45T I2 and I3 of adjacent T members, for example, being asuitable distance apart, usually about 0.02 inch apart.

The T members and channel members are made up in the form of stripslwhich extend the length 50 Aalso provides the pressure cone TI.

strength wire being employed for this purpose. Wrapping the members withWire reduces the over-all weight of the unit and, at the same time,reduces the cost of construction materially. The wire wrap is preferablyplaced on and secured with the wire under slight tension, so that theunit is made up tightly and the distances between the surfaces I2 and I3and the T members is capable of close control. Bands or rings of steelor cast iron can be employed but I prefer wire.

The relation between the outer face I6 of the T cross bar and the sideIl of the T is such that when all the channels are in place with thesides of each channel engaging the faces Il and a portion of the outerface I6 of the adjacent T cross bars, the members, as a whole, provide atube which forms the outer shell for the press. The relative anglebetween faces I6 and I'I depends upon the number of members to beemployed to make up the tube, their widths and the size of each channel.

By providing the channels, liquid forced out from material carriedwithin the shell drains between the faces I2 and I3 and is carried awaythrough each channel Il. The passage provided between surfaces I2 and I3is continuous and there is no interruption of feed, nor is the materialfed subject to any tearing action usual in the screen or plate typeshell presses. This ensures that the solid content forced into thechannels l I is reduced to a minimum.

In place of employing T members, various other shapes can be employedand in Figure 4 I have shown T members 2| employed with a half-roundspacer 22.

In Figure 3 I have shown members 24 spaced apart by V spacer members 26.The inner members providing the tubular shell should always besubstantially T members in cross section, having a cross bar and withadjacent cross bars spaced apart by an intervening spacer member whichalso carries a longitudinally extending groove for draining oif liquidpassed between the spaced cross bar members on adjacent T members. Inthis manner the accurateV spacing of the T members is possible, so thatcontinuous liquid drains are provided from the interior of the pressureextraction apparatus.

When the plurality of T members and their spacer members are assembledand suitably secured together by suitable retaining means, the shell canbe employed in conjunction with anyV suitable pressure applying means,such as a screw or a hydraulic ram or other pressure applying means.

The relation of faces I2 and I3 can be such that they are substantiallyparallel, approaching or receding toward the spacer. The inner face ofthe T member can be coated or faced with any material desired.

Now referring to Figure l, the shell 6 is mounted upon a suitablesupporting plate 3I flanged as at 32 to receive the shell, a retainingring 33 being interposed between the shell and the plate. The rings 33are employed to retain the several members 'I and I I together prior tothe wire wrap being placed thereon.

The several channels I I drain through the plate support 3| into areceiving member 34 which This member is suitably ribbed as at 36, theribs being apertured as at 3i to provide for a liquid drain, the liquidbeing drained out of this member through a pipe not shown. The plate 3|is secured upon member 34 by suitable bolts 38 and nuts 39. The

bolts 38 extend into a base structure generally indicated at 4|, whichprovides a support for the entire press. This base includes a bottomplate 42 secured thereto as by studs 43. A bearing 44 is carried in thisplate while a like bearing 46 is carried in boss 41 of the basestructure, this portion being joined by portions 48 so formed as toprovide a cake discharge chute as will presently be described.

The bearings 44 and 46 provide a support for a shaft 4S which isemployed to rotate the press screw, as will presently appear. Secured tothe shaft 49 is an internal ring gear 50, a spacer 5I being interposedbetween this ring gear and the bearing 46. A liquid seal 52 is placedabout the shaft above bearing 46 to prevent entrance of liquid from thepress. The ring gear 50 is driven by gear 53 carried upon a shaft 54.Shaft 54 is carried by bearings 55 and 56, bearing 56 being supported incasing base portion 48 while bearing 55 is carried by a plate 51 securedto the base structure by suitable means not shown. Formed integral withthe shaft 54 is a flange 58 which carries a beveled ring gear 59 drivenby beveled gear 6I on shaft 52. Shaft 62 is driven by any suitable powerinput means to rotate shaft 49. Shaft 62 is carried in bearings 63 and64 and is suitably sealed in place by a stuiiing gland 66.

Returning to shaft 49, a press screw 'Il Vis mounted thereon tocooperate with the basket 6. A plurality of splines I2 provided on theshaft 49 ensure that the screw rotates with the shaft and is slidablealong the shaft. The screw includes a plurality of screw threads thereonindicated at 73. These are respectively spaced apart a decreasingdistance as one progresses down through the tubular basket 6, so that asmaterial is advanced the pressure is maintained substantially uniformbecause, as the liquid is forced out of the material, diminution involume is cared for by the decreasing distance between adjacent threads.This is also cared for by providing several of the threads upon` a screwbody of increasing diameter, the body increasing in its diameter fromabout its midpoint to its lower end, adjacent to` pressure cone 'I1provided by member 34. Between the screw thread and` the shaft ispositioned a spring 8 I. This spring engages the screw at one end and anut 82 carried upon threads 83 on the end of the shaft. 'I'he nut isformed as at 84 to receive a suitable wrench, the nut being engaged bymember 86 which is in turn secured by screws 81 to the press screw. Asuitable cover 88 is secured tol member 86 to protect the end of theshaft. The upper end of the basket carries a hopper indicated at 89.'Ihe position ofthe nut on the shaft enables the end of the screw to beadjusted relative to the pressure cone. As the adjustment of the pressis shown in Figure 1, the press provides application of maximum pressureto any material, the screw being in engagement and rotating so closelyadjacent to the pressure cone that the material can only pass betweenthe screw and the cone by lifting the screw against the compression ofspring 8l. However, if desired, the nut can be so adjusted that a freespace or passage exists between the pressure cone and the end of thescrew. Under these circumstances, so long as the space between the screwand the shell is filled with material, the material passing between thepressure cone and the screw is subjectV to that pressure necessary Vtoovercome lifting of the screw, because the tendency of the screw is toforce the material down and between the pressure cone and the screw, andthus place on the material the pressure of the spring. The nut 82permits this to be adjusted as well as the position of the screw in thebarrel. So long as the press is illed with material, all materialejected from it is subject to a predetermined and substantially uniformpressure. By changing springs, different pressures and ranges ofpressure are secured.

Mounted upon the shaft below the end of the screw is va cone 9i carryinga blade 92 which serves as a press cake discharge blade, sweeping aboutthe cake receiving portion 93 of the base structure and forcing the cakeout through the cake discharge chute indicated at 95. The liquid forcedbetween the Various T members drains `down through the channels and oithrough niember 34 for removal through a discharge pipe not shown.

Because of the operating coaction between the particular basketstructure employed and the screw, the discharge liquid is substantiallyfree of any solids.

I claim:

1. A shell for a pressure extraction apparatus comprising a plurality ofsubstantially like T members and a plurality oil? substantially likechannel members, each channel being positioned with its open face towardthe cross members on adjacent T members and with the spaced oppositesides thereof abutting and spacing substantially parallel stems on saidT members and with the channel dening faces thereof engaging adj a.-

cent cross-members on said T members with said T members spaced apartand dening substantially uniform and continuous openings into thechannel spacing said members, and means securing said T members and saidchannels into a tube.

2. A shell for a pressure extraction apparatus comprising a tubularshell including a plurality of T strip members, the horizontal bar insaid T in each member forming the inner side of said shell, and aplurality of spacer members having a groove extending along one face ofeach of said members, each spacer member being inserted with the groovetherein facing the horizontal bar on adjacent T members to abut sidesand the outer face of said bar on adjacent T members to spacecontinuously the ends of said bars apart, and means securing saidmembers together.

3. A shell for a pressure extraction apparatus comprising a. tubularshell including a plurality of T strip members, the horizontal bar insaid T in each member forming the inner side of said shell, and aplurality of spacer members having a groove extending along one face ofeach of said members, each spacer member being inserted with the groovetherein facing the horizontal bar on adjacent T members to abut sidesand the outer face of said bar on adjacent T members to spacecontinuously the ends of said bars apart, and a wire wrapping about saidmembers securing said members together.

